I'm not currently a player in Olympia, but I've been reading the
discusion about big players beating up small players and an idea came to
me.

The regions in Olympia are really big right? So couldn't it be assumed
that if a faction has a stack in a region, that faction wouldn't know
all that was going on in the region.

What if you create a chance, based on stack size, for a stack to be
spotted by other stacks in the same region. This would let small stacks
(a few nobles for instance) roam around without really being bothered
because chances are they won't be spotted. (They just blend in with
other "non-player" peasants and what not)

Maybe in normal regions, add up the number of nobles, peasants, workers,
soldiers, etc... in a stack and multiply it by 5. This would be the
percentage of every other stack in the region of detecting it. So a
stack with 2 nobles and 3 swordsmen for instance would only have a 25%
chance of being spotted by any other stack in the same region on the
days that they occupy the same region. Maybe make nobles only count as
half a guy for these purposses because they're good at blending in?
Having stealth skill can subtract from the percentage and a different
stack having observation skill could add to the percentage. It could be
the same in a town, but maybe multiply by 10% instead of 5%. And if a
stack brings in things like siege engines, it's automatically spotted
because rumors spread.

Perhaps if a region is garrisoned, the garrison has better chances of
spotting a stack. Or maybe create scout or search orders for players
who want to conduct searches for spys and thieves or want to scout out
enemy territory.

This would eliminate the fear for small factions as a noble or two would
almost always pass through without being detected (adventurers or
traders or explorers) while large troop movements would be easilly
observed.

What do you think sirs?
-Greg

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Burger | Only a stupid mouse would hide in a
gpb3439@ultb.isc.rit.edu | cat's ear, but only a very wise cat
| would think to look there.